Donations especially important to equine rescue, adoption groups
Shadow, a 14-year-old blind pony, was rescued and found a new home at Mylestone, one of several New Jersey organizations that place unwanted horses.During the season of giving, Susankelly Thompson of Mylestone Equine Rescue in Pohatcong is making an appeal: "Don't forget the horses.''
It's a thought echoed by other groups in the state that help place horses whose owners cannot or will not keep them any longer. As Thompson notes, donations are especially important this year, since "there are far more horses in need because of the economy. People can't open their homes to take in a horse, but we hope they'll open their hearts and help us take care of them."
Shadow is one of Mylestone's permanent residents, a 14-year-old pony who "suffered horrible abuse,'' Thompson recalled.
"His owner gelded Shadow himself, no anesthesia. He gave Shadow vaccines that were not meant for horses, which caused Shadow to go blind. His eyes were badly infected when we got him. We have since cleared his eyes of infection,'' Thompson said.
"However, he has continued to have problems with swelling in one of his eyes and it was recently decided Shadow needs to have his left eye removed. Shadow is totally blind and has learned to trust us. He knows our voices and feels safe in his paddock.''
Few people want to take on horses like that, she noted, but it was through no fault of his own that Shadow became unusable. Shadow and others like him can be sponsored for $25 per month, which entitles the owner to a monthly photo and update.
The organizations all can use money, but there are other ways of giving too, from equipment, feed and hay to blankets, fly spray and wormers, as well as volunteer hours, needed for office work, events, horse care and other tasks that limited staff can't cover.
Thompson said the people who call Mylestone (mylestone.org) seeking to place their horses "typically are not those who would be sending horses to the auction; they're just down on their luck. You're seeing people holding on, trying to keep their horses, but can no longer do it.''
Dana Letual, the business administrator of the Standardbred Retirement Foundation (adoptahorse.org) said, "We've had an overflow of returns this year, on top of a waiting list of 145 horses. We're probably overcrowded by 15 horses on our farm in Hamilton, and that doesn't include the horses we have all over in different boarding facilities.''
The return of horses the organization had placed previously happens for different reasons; perhaps the horse is older and can't do the things it used to do, or a child has lost interest. But now there's the added problem of tough times -- "people are losing their jobs, they're losing their property,'' said Letual. Horses that come off the track may wind up at the auction, she noted, and from there they can go to slaughter or unhappy tasks as work horses.
The foundation helps as many animals as it can.
"We've got over 2,200 adopted and another 171 in the program trying to get adopted,'' said Letual, noting that's in addition to the waiting list.
A trainer works with horses to prepare them for a new profession, often under saddle rather than in harness.
"When they come off the track, some of them take to it instantly. They're very versatile,'' she said.
"We have quite a few with the Newark police, they do eventing, dressage and show and pleasure driving.''
On the thoroughbred side, ReRun Inc. (rerun.org) helps place those horses off the track. The economy has benefited the organization in one way; it increased adoptions. As president and executive director Laurie Lane noted, while there are more horses available, "When the economy's bad, people can't buy $60,000 warmbloods, so they look to programs like us, so that was a little better this year.''
ReRun has an on-site facility at Monmouth Park and a farm in New Egypt, where the most adoptable animals are located. It will rehabilitate horses that are injured before finding them a home. Pensioned horses live at various farms in North Carolina, New Jersey, New York and Kentucky.
About 100 came through the program this year, but Lane anticipates more demand for her group's services, as people get out of the racing and breeding businesses, so broodmares also are coming up for adoption.
ReRun will be a beneficiary of the Jersey Fresh three-day event at the Horse Park of New Jersey in May, and former New Jersey Horse Council President Jane Gilbert will take over as president of the organization next year, leaving Lane in the executive director position.
Lisa Post of Helping Hearts Equine Rescue (hher.webs.com) in Monmouth County said she found that horses needing homes "started really revving up around September. The volume has picked up with the change of seasons,'' she continued, explaining horses cannot be kept on pasture in the winter and there are always rumors that the price of hay is going up, which can be a tipping point for those deciding whether to let go of their animals. Post, who takes calls from people seeking homes for their horses and also rescues them from the auction, reported that some horses going through the sales ring recently had notes with them saying their owners were giving them up because they couldn't afford them.
Helping Hearts has several funds. One is used for euthanasia of horses that can't continue. Another is for Halflingers, in memory of Post's horse who died in August, and a third is the Mary Klink Memorial Fund, named for the Millstone's late animal control officer and dedicated to her favorite breeds, quarter horses and standardbreds
Helping Hearts welcomes donated items. Those that the organization can't use may go to other rescue groups or be sold to benefit Helping Hearts.
"People become very generous around Christmas,'' said Post, but she emphasized, "horses need help all year round. If 100 people give $10 each, that's $1,000. We'll take donations of $5. It all adds up.''
The Standardbred Retirement Foundation can be reached at P.O. Box 716, Allentown, 08501.
ReRun's address is P.O. Box 113, Helmetta, 08828.
Mylestone's is 227 Still Valley Rd., Phillipsburg 08865.
Helping Hearts is Box 342, Perrineville, NJ 08535.
ON THE RAIL
Former FEI dressage director Eva Salomon, who resigned from her position in January, has been named the U.S. Equestrian Federation's new manager of dressage, as well as chef d'equipe. Salomon, who has been involved with dressage for 40 years and employed at the FEI for six years, will work with the new technical advisor for dressage, Anne Gribbons, a native of Sweden who is an American citizen. Salomon is Swedish, which could come in handy when the two women want to have a private conversation about team matters.
"Her extraordinary abilities and breadth of knowledge in the sport of dressage will be a significant advantage to our riders as they prepare for the World Equestrian Games in 2010 and the Olympic Games in 2012,'' said Jim Wolf, the USEF's director of sport programs.
The New Jersey Horse Council is holding another seminar on the state's equine liability law Jan. 4 under the sponsorship of the Gloucester County 4-H Advisory Committee. The 7-9 p.m. session will be at the Office of Government Services, 1200 N. Delsea Dr., Clayton.
ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE:
Sunday: CJL Farm and Hunter's Crossing Farm Host Snowbird Acres Show, Hunter's Crossing Farm, 121 E. Valley Brook Rd., Long Valley.
Next Sunday: West Milford Equestrian Center Show, 367 Union Valley Rd., Newfoundland.
Nancy Jaffer may be reached at nancyjaffer@att.net